Steve Novick, Commissioner Randy Leonard's friend since the 1990s when both men worked in the Oregon Legislature, on Wednesday entered the race to fill Leonard's Portland City Council seat. On Tuesday Leonard said he would not run for another term. Rob Finch/The Oregonian

An open seat on the Portland City Council is not unusual. But eight months before the March deadline to file for city races, 2012 is shaping up to be a competitive year. Three seats -- the mayor's and two commissioners' -- have attracted declared candidates, plus serious consideration from several others.

And given that the election will be the first since 2006 without public campaign financing, after voters ended the system in November, spending could be high, too.

"The odds are good that another record could be set," said Janice Thompson, executive director of Common Cause Oregon, a nonprofit that advocates voter access, campaign finance reform and other issues.

Leonard's departure when his term ends Dec. 31, 2012, also sets the stage for a new dynamic on the City Council and a change in Portland's direction.

Leonard has a knack for making things happen, said Greg Peden, a lobbyist who recently worked for Timbers owner Merritt Paulson to bring Major League Soccer to Portland. "It remains to be seen who will be able to pick up and fill the void," Peden added.

But Multnomah County Chairman Jeff Cogen said Wednesday that he plans to spend the next two weeks on vacation weighing a run. He also endorsed Novick, calling him a "perfect" council candidate and perhaps signaling a future alliance.

Former city Commissioner Charlie Hales and Eileen Brady, co-founder of New Seasons, have already announced challenges to Mayor Sam Adams. Adams hasn't said whether he'll run, but he's expected to.

More candidates may soon enter the fray. State Rep. Mary Nolan, D-Portland, who ran Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services in the early 1990s, said Wednesday that she is "still focusing on getting stuff done" in Salem, where the legislative session is expected to end any day. But she's been making calls to local leaders seeking advice on a council run, though it's not clear whether she would challenge Commissioner Amanda Fritz or try for Leonard's seat.

Shelli Romero, a public policy coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said after Leonard's announcement that she'll have her own in July. "I'm weighing a number of things," said Romero, who would run for Leonard's seat.

Annette Mattson, a David Douglas School Board member since 1995, said she might consider a bid for Leonard's seat as well. State Rep. Ben Cannon, D-Portland, meanwhile, said earlier this week that he had decided against seeking a council seat.

For now, the focus at the commissioner level is on Novick, a quick-witted, 48-year-old lawyer who is 4-foot-9 and has a hook for a left hand. In addition to running for the Senate, Novick sought appointment as state treasurer in 2010, losing to Ted Wheeler, and then briefly considered running for Multnomah County chairman. He has also worked for former Gov. Ted Kulongoski and former Multnomah County Chairwoman Diane Linn.

Labor groups that have supported Leonard, a former firefighters union president, have started lining up informally with Novick. Rob Wheaton, a representative for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 189, which represents Water Bureau employees and other city administrators, said his members have "always liked" Novick.

Even political opponents had nice things to say about him Wednesday. "He's wicked smart," said Jon Chandler of the Oregon Home Builders Association, who has sparred with Novick over taxes Novick supported. "He's wrong about a bunch of things, of course."